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Intersting video

Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2018 1:17 am
by Dstew
https://rallycycling.com/longevity/?fbc ... vXZZrMTXtU

I clicked on the above link. I thought to myself, oh god not another one of these "inspirational" or "motivational" stories about someone in their 70s or 80s who has completed a Fondo or so other endurance type bike ride. That somehow these outliers/ freaks of nature can provide any lessons for someone like me when running the last 500 meters of 5 K run really hard can trigger a number of chronic injuries. To my very pleasant surprise, the "story" and message was cycling improves one's health. The focus was not on Fondos or Crits but rather, commuting or just being active. The subject happened to be a 92 year old veteran but again the message was merely to be active. So on Saturday, the predicted snow had not started. The temperature was a oddly pleasant - 4. So I got on my mountain bike and rode over the Safeway with my back pack. On the way home, the wind had picked up and the snow now falling was stinging my face. I cannot describe the pure joy of riding in these conditions. The total trip was around 6 K and so the "reward" was by conventional thinking so disproportionally out of whack it did not make any sense. No medal, no technical shirt, no bib, no time but it was fun, neat and cool to be riding through a snow storm with milk in my back pack.

Thus so what if I can only jog. Or not complete "epic" mountain or fat bike rides. That after 2019, I may never do another official road bike ride. I think we get so caught up in the hype that we need official times, official photos and proof or evidence we did what we did at a race or Fondo or whatever that we can lose focus on why we love to run or bike or whatever. Because eventually chasing the horizon is not going to end well. There is only so many personal bests one can beat. And one can see it in the events - after the masses found marathons, then it was ultra marathons. Then when too many did that, multiple day marathons. Or Fondos for those who ride bikes although as a side noted, in the Calgary area three rides that existed in 2016 no longer do. For most mortals, the body can only take so much pounding, so much accumulated damage before it breaks. So why not focus on health and having some fun?